Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right now, Kohala Lighthouse (Big Island) is lookin’ like a bit of a battleground. The swell’s there, but the wind ain’t playin’ nice. We’ve got a consistent run of ENE swell pushing in, but it’s all wrapped up in cross-shore and cross-onshore breezes, so the surface is gonna be lumpy and messy. For the next week, honestly, it’s gonna be a scratch-fest. The energy is moderate to strong – we’re seeing combined energy readings of 552 on Tuesday morning, climbing to 885 by Thursday afternoon, and that’s real push behind the waves. But with 25 to 35 km/h winds chopping it all up, it’s hard to get excited. The water’s sittin’ at 82°, which is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Tuesday the 15th is a total write-off – 5ft of ENE swell, but it’s cross and bumpy. Wednesday’s a bit smaller, down to 4ft, but the wind’s up to 30 km/h and it’s cross-on. Not your friend. Thursday the 17th, the swell bumps up to 7ft in the morning, 8ft in the afternoon, period drops from 9 to 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 720 then 885 – but it’s all for nothing with that 35 km/h cross-shore junk. Friday and Saturday stay in that 7 to 8ft range, but the period’s short and the wind’s still howling. This is big, messy, and not friendly to anyone but the experts – and even they’d be grumbling.

Sunday the 20th and Monday the 21st settle slightly to 6ft, but it’s still cross and lumpy. Monday afternoon the wind picks up to 40 km/h, and we’re getting strong cross-shore mess. Not a single decent window in there.

Now, Tuesday the 22nd is interesting, but not for the right reasons. We’ve got a risk of thunderstorms and the swell jumps to 8ft with an east direction, period 10 seconds, and the combined energy surges to 1314 in the morning and 1603 in the afternoon. That’s strong, powerful stuff – but it’s also crossed up with 40 km/h winds. Unless you’re a tow-in gun with a death wish, that’s a pass.

Then Wednesday the 23rd morning – finally a glimmer. The wind swings ESE at 20 km/h, and it’s cross-off. The swell is 8ft from ENE at 10 seconds, with energy at 1001. The conditions are actually clean for the first time. This is the standout of the whole window. It’s big, it’s got some punch, and that cross-off will hold the face together. But listen – this is a reef break, and at 8ft with that kind of energy, it’s strictly for advanced crew. The crowds are only *sometimes* there, so if you’re confident, you might get a few waves to yourself. This is the one to circle. Unfortunately, the afternoon falls apart – wind swings back east at 45 km/h and it’s messy again.

Thursday the 24th is back to junk – 7ft but strong cross-shore winds at 45 km/h, energy down to 647. Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th ease back to 5–6ft, but there’s a risk of thunderstorms and the wind’s still cross and lumpy. Not worth paddling out unless you’re desperate.

Sunday the 27th onwards, the swell drops to 3–4ft, period around 9–10 seconds, and the direction shifts to the north. The energy is still moderate – around 373 to 438 – but it’s small and still crossed up. Monday the 28th and Tuesday the 29th stay in that 4–5ft range, with moderate to fresh cross-shore winds. The last day of the window, Wednesday the 30th, has 5–5ft from the NNE at 10 seconds, but it’s still wind-affected.

So here’s the deal: the only real window in this whole 16-day stretch is Wednesday the 23rd morning. That’s your standout. Everything else is a grind. If that morning doesn’t work for you, you’re gonna be sitting on the beach watching the chop for a long time. It’s a tough stretch, but that one clean session might be worth the wait.

Rusty

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